Film Snail

6.1

Broadway Bill

NR·1934·104m

Comedy

Drama

Comedy

Drama

Summary

Tycoon J.L. Higgins controls his whole family, but one of his sons-in-law, Dan Brooks, and his daughter Alice are fed up with that. Brooks quits his job as manager of J.L.'s paper box factory and devotes his life to his racing horse Broadway Bill, but his bankroll is thin and the luck is against him. He is arrested because of $150 he owes somebody for horse food, but suddenly a planned fraud by somebody else seems to offer him a chance...

Cast

Warner Baxter

Dan Brooks

Myrna Loy

Alice 'Princess' Higgins

Walter Connolly

J.L. Higgins

Helen Vinson

Margaret

Douglass Dumbrille

Eddie Morgan

Raymond Walburn

Colonel Pettigrew

Lynne Overman

Happy McGuire

Clarence Muse

Whitey

Broadway Bill

Broadway Bill - a Horse

Margaret Hamilton

Edna

Frankie Darro

Ted Williams

George Cooper

Joe

George Meeker

Henry Early

Jason Robards Sr.

Arthur Winslow

Ed Tucker

Jimmy Baker

Edmund Breese

Presiding Judge

Clara Blandick

Mrs. Peterson

Irving Bacon

Hamburger Stand Owner (uncredited)

Lucille Ball

Blonde Telephone Operator (uncredited)

Stanley Blystone

Jailer (uncredited)

Ward Bond

Morgan's Henchman (uncredited)

Sidney Bracey

Higgins' 2nd Butler (uncredited)

Harry C. Bradley

Morgan's Bookkeeper (uncredited)

Heinie Conklin

Bettor on Broadway Bill (uncredited)

Gino Corrado

(uncredited)

Inez Courtney

Nurse Mae (uncredited)

Kernan Cripps

Policeman (uncredited)

Helen Flint

Mrs. Henry Early (uncredited)

Sam Flint

Racetrack Official (uncredited)

Christian J. Frank

Sheriff (uncredited)

Gladys Gale

Head Nurse (uncredited)

Alan Hale

Orchestra Leader (uncredited)

Forrester Harvey

Bradshaw (uncredited)

Paul Harvey

James Whitehall (uncredited)

Frank Holliday

Deputy Sheriff (uncredited)

Alfred P. James

Mel (uncredited)

Charles Lane

Morgan's Henchman (uncredited)

Robert McKenzie

Man in Barbershop (uncredited)

John Merton

Morgan's Henchman (uncredited)

Charles Middleton

Veterinarian (uncredited)

Helene Millard

Mrs. Arthur Winslow (uncredited)

Bert Moorhouse

(uncredited)

Louis Natheaux

Morgan's Henchman (uncredited)

Frank O'Connor

Reporter (uncredited)

Dennis O'Keefe

(uncredited)

Harry Semels

Conductor Bettor on Broadway Bill (uncredited)

Skeeter

Broadway Bill's Rooster (uncredited)

Joan Standing

Brooks' Phone Operator (uncredited)

Emmett Vogan

Betting Parlor Operator (uncredited)

Fred Walton

Butler (uncredited)

Ethel Bryant

Crew

Director

Frank Capra

Screenplay

Robert Riskin

Story

Mark Hellinger

Reviews

Geronimo1967

January 7, 2024

At a family dinner, patriarch "Higgins" (Walter Connolly) - who has his name on practically everything - is bemoaning the failures of his cardboard box division. That's run by son-in-law "Dan" (Warner Baxter) but he's bored witless by the whole operation and decides he wants to quit and focus on his eponymous racehorse. He quickly discovers that owning an horse is a pricey occupation, and without a job or family money he is soon borrowing from anyone he can to keep the thing on four legs. It's first outing at the track is an unmitigated disaster, followed by a spell in jail for not paying his debts. Then "Alice" (Myrna Loy) steps in to help - and maybe, just maybe, they can get the horse entered into the Imperial Derby. What now ensues is actually quite good fun and features some of the tightest and exciting horse-racing coverage I've ever seen. The romantic elements can be largely ignored as the hapless "Dan" begins to look like he can make his father-in-law eat some humble pie and irritate the gambling fraternity at the same time. There are a couple of engaging supporting contributions - Raymond Walburn and Lynne Overman add value and if you're eagle-eyed you might spot Margaret Hamilton too. It's quickly paced and light-heartedly humorous and though probably twenty minutes too long, is still worth a watch.